Chapter 26 – The Price of Power
Elias led Frieren deep into a forest a little ways from the village.
Through gaps in the misty canopy, the pale sky filtered down in faint silver light.
Frieren trudged behind him, gazing dreamily upward.
"Elias, sealing all my magical trinkets with an Unbreakable Oath Spell is just plain cruel."
"Is it?" Elias replied, his tone calm, almost bored.
He didn't slow his pace as he continued,
"I simply don't know when you might change your mind and run back to the village."
Frieren: «(･ω･)»
"…Was it that obvious?"
Then, curiosity flickered in her eyes.
"But what if I did force the seal open? What would happen?"
Elias was silent for a few seconds. Then, the corners of his lips curved into a faintly wicked smile.
"You'd die."
Frieren: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ
"W–WHAT?!"
"That's the kind of curse you put on me?!"
Elias shrugged, his voice maddeningly casual.
"You're the one who made the oath. I merely acted as the caster."
"Uuuugh… You really are a despicable demon!" Frieren whined, stomping her foot.
"I'm such a kind and innocent little elf, and you—you tricked me!"
"Quit complaining," he said, coming to a stop.
"We're here."
Frieren blinked, looking around. The forest opened into a small clearing, empty except for grass and trees.
She frowned, glancing around in confusion.
"Uh… what's so special about this place?"
Elias didn't answer. He lifted a hand, and a branch from a nearby tree floated to his grasp. Kneeling, he drew a large circle in the dirt.
"Frieren," he said at last, his voice low and deliberate, "do you know the first principle of magical combat?"
Frieren: «(･ω･)»
"Um… attack and defense spells?"
"Wrong."
Elias tossed the branch aside. His eyes sharpened, his tone turning solemn.
"It's Mana Perception."
"If you can't sense your opponent's presence, then you've already lost before the fight even begins. You become nothing but prey."
"On the battlefield, victory isn't determined by who has more power—it's decided by who detects the other first."
As he spoke, a rare, almost approving smile crossed his face.
"I'll admit something, Frieren. You're naturally gifted at sensing mana. You noticed my restrained magic power the very first time we met."
Frieren puffed up proudly, placing her hands on her hips.
«(๑´∀`๑)»
"Heh~ I told you I was talented!"
"…Unfortunately," Elias continued, his voice suddenly cooling,
"Mana perception has another side—being perceived."
He looked her straight in the eyes.
"The stronger your magic, the easier you are to detect. That is what's known as the Price of Power."
"In recent years, human mages have begun to develop a countermeasure—Mana Suppression."
"By limiting the amount of mana that leaks from your body, you can conceal yourself from enemy detection—unless your opponent has extraordinary perception, or an exceptional command of magic control."
"A truly skilled mage," he said, "can suppress their external mana output to one-tenth… even one-hundredth of its normal level."
Frieren's eyes sparkled with renewed energy.
"Then what about me, huh? What about me?!" she burst out, raising her hand like a student eager to answer a question.
"When I traveled with Master Flamme, she started teaching me mana suppression too! Don't underestimate me just because I like running around—I've been practicing!"
Elias folded his arms, watching her bounce with enthusiasm.
His lips twitched—not quite a smile, but something close.
Elias sighed softly and flicked Frieren on the forehead.
"You've got a long way to go, little one."
"Flamme was a genius among geniuses. It took her ten years of grueling training just to master high-level mana suppression."
"As for you…" His tone turned dry. "Let's be realistic. In the next five years, your goal is to limit your mana to one-quarter of your current level."
Frieren: «(=_=)»
"…Got it," she muttered reluctantly. "But what does all this have to do with this place?"
Elias glanced around, eyes narrowing slightly as they fixed on a certain point in the distance.
"Over there," he said, raising his hand. "Do you see that pale brown bird on the branch?"
Frieren followed his gaze. "Yeah, so? It's just a bird. We're in a forest, you know. They tend to exist here."
"That's no ordinary bird," Elias replied, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"That's a Meteorite Bird—a creature famed for its extreme sensitivity to mana."
Frieren's face went blank. Her eyelids drooped.
"So… you dragged me out here at dawn just to… catch birds?"
She perked up suddenly. "That's easy!"
Raising her staff with a flourish, she chanted—
[Confinement Magic – Small Creatures]
A shimmer of light enveloped the bird.
In the next instant, it was neatly trapped inside a glowing magic cage.
Frieren brushed her hands smugly. "See? Piece of cake. You really underestimate me, Elias."
Elias's expression didn't change.
"No," he said evenly. "You overestimate yourself."
—BOOM!
The Meteorite Bird exploded out of the magic cage, tearing through it like paper.
It soared into the sky, a streak of light vanishing beyond the treetops.
Frieren: ╭(°A°`)╮
"Wha—WHAT just happened?!"
Elias sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Frieren, despite its size, the Meteorite Bird's body is far stronger than it looks. Some can even fly faster than sound."
"What?! That's insane!" Frieren's jaw dropped. "Then how am I supposed to catch it?"
"You're not," Elias replied flatly. He gestured toward the large circle he'd drawn on the ground earlier.
"All you need to do is sit in the center and suppress your mana—completely."
He looked at her with calm authority.
"When the Meteorite Bird finally approaches and lands within the circle, you'll know you've succeeded."
Frieren's eyes widened in realization.
"Ohh, I see! The circle's radius measures how much I've suppressed my mana, right? Wow, Elias—you're smarter than I thought!"
Elias's face twitched.
Of all the things to be praised for… this was not the compliment he wanted.
"…Just get started."
Frieren plopped down cross-legged in the middle of the circle.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the faint chirping echoing through the foggy woods.
Then, recalling Flamme's lessons, she began to suppress her mana—slowly, carefully.
Limiting mana really is harder than it sounds… she thought.
It's like trying to hold your breath while keeping your heartbeat still.
She couldn't help but wonder how much pain her master had endured to reach the level of suppressing her magic even from demon eyes.
–––
And so, the white-haired elf began her solitary training, working toward her distant goal—
the Proof of the Sacred Staff.
Every morning, she could be seen entering the Meteorite Bird's forest alone, not returning until midday.
On the fifteenth day, over dinner, Frieren suddenly made a shocking request.
Elias almost choked on his drink. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"…What did you just say?"
Frieren looked perfectly serious.
"I want you to modify your 'Forced Wake-Up Spell' to cast automatically every morning at the same time!"
Elias blinked. "You want what?"
"That's right!" she declared with newfound determination. "I've decided to break my bad habit of oversleeping!"
–––
Three months later, one early morning, Elias happened to walk past Frieren's room.
From behind the door, the enchanted grimoire responsible for the wake-up spell was screaming at the top of its lungs.
Curious, he opened the door slightly.
Frieren lay sprawled face-down on the bed, drooling into her pillow.
«(´✘_✘`)»
"…Hah."
Elias shook his head and sighed.
"Only three months, and she's already developed a resistance to magic itself."
He couldn't help but smirk.
"What a terrifying kind of talent…"